On 30 October 2024, SumDU hosted a presentation of the interim results of the project “Space of Opportunities: A Program of Facilitation Meetings on Employment and Career Planning for Veterans and Their Families”.

The project is being implemented by the NGO “Intellect of Sumy Region” in partnership with the SumDU Center for Veteran Development, the UN and the Dutch Government.

The event was attended by representatives of central and regional executive authorities, local governments, members of working groups on public safety and social cohesion, restoration of partner communities in the region, representatives of veteran development centers from other regions, veterans and their families.

The event presented the methodology and results of assessing needs of the veteran community in psychosocial support, employment and career planning.

As Vasyl KARPUSHA (SumDU rector) emphasized in his welcoming speech, the university has a strong base that can provide a wide range of services for veterans and their families: educational, psychological, medical, and rehabilitation. The main goal of the Veteran Development Center is to facilitate the psychological and professional adaptation of war veterans, demobilized defenders, their families and families of fallen heroes on their way back to peaceful life. “I hope that the Center will become a powerful place for meeting the veteran community needs,” – said Vasyl KARPUSHA.

Federica DISPENZA, (UNDP Community Security and Recovery leader) noted the SumDU work aimed at localizing veterans’ policy in accordance with needs and characteristics of Sumy region. She also noted that services for veterans should be developed on the basis of reliable data.

The interim survey results were presented by Andriana KOSTENKO (project expert, DSc in Politology, professor, head of the Department for Psychology, Political Science and Socio-Cultural Technologies, head of the Center for Social Research, board member of the NGO “Intellect of Sumy Region”).

“The study focuses on three components: assessing the availability of services, determining the psycho-emotional state of veterans and their families, and overcoming barriers to employment. Thus, the obtained data allows us to plan comprehensive support for veterans and their families. It is now clear that the top priorities of veterans are health, family and finding themselves in civilian life,” – said Andriana KOSTENKO.

The participants shared their experience of working within self-help groups created by veterans and their family members. Such informal associations of people with common experiences help create a friendly environment for veterans and facilitate their adaptation to civilian life.

Representatives of the veteran community shared their impressions of the project. Yulia VITKOVSKA (participant in the Russian-Ukrainian War) thanked SumDU and its representatives for facilitating the social adaptation of the military. Addressing the project coordinators, she noted that the study demonstrates current needs and problems of veterans. It covers a wide range of areas.

“You have taken a very responsible approach to conducting the study. I personally found answers to the queries I need. Thank you for your work, your inspiration and sincere support for veterans,” – said Yulia VITKOVSKA.